Variable load brake



C. S. KELLEY VARIABLE LOAD BRAKE FiledAug. 29, 1942 WQ mh,

INVENTOR TTRNEY Y E L L E K E. m C E C Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFI CE VARIABLE LOAD BRAKE y ICecil'S. Kelley, Forest Hills, Pa., 1assigner-to .'ihe

Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 29, 1942, Serial No. 456,583

3 Claims.

This invention relates to railway vehicle brake apparatus and more particularly to variable load 4brake apparatus of the type in which the brake rigging leverage thereof may be automatically varied in accordance with variations in the weight -of the load on the vehicle to correspondingly vary the force with which the brake is adapted to be applied.

An object of the invention is to provide animproved variable load brake apparatus of the above mentioned type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a variable load brake apparatus of the above type which is so constructed and arranged that, when the fluid under pressure in the brake system is being increased .in charging, it will be automatically conditioned or changed over for the degree of braking required for the weight of the load carried, and which, when the pressure of fluid in the brake system exceeds a .predetermined limit, will be automatically locked and maintained locked in its conditioned state so long as the pressure of fluid in the system is not reduced below sa" d .predetermined limit.

It "is a further object oi the invention to provide a variable load brake apparatus of the above mentioned type including novel means which permits variations in the brake rigging leverage only when the pressure in the brake system is within a predetermined range and then only when the brake rigging is in its released position.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following detailed description of the invention.

The single gure is a diagrammatic view, partly in section of a railway vehicle truck embodying the invention, parts of the truck and of the brake .rigging being omitted to more clearly illustrate certain details of the invention.

As shown in the drawing, the variable load brake apparatus is applied to a railway vehicle truck which may be of the usual well known construction having a truck bolster I, laterally spaced side frames (not shown) which are rigidly carried in the usual manner by the wheel and axle assemblies (not shown) and a spring plank 2 which is fixed to the truck frames and upon which the usual truck bolster supporting springs 3 seat.

The variable load brake apparatus may comprise a brake cylinder device 4 having a cylinder which is rigidly secured to the truck bolster l and which contains the usual piston having a hollow piston rod 5 which projects beyond one end of the cylinder and in which is rockably mounted the 4'usual push rod l` The outer end of the push rod 6 is operatively connected to the upper end of a fax vertically disposed brake cylinder lever l, the lower end of thelever `be`ing operatively connected to one end of ausual longitudinally extending pull rod 8 leading to other brake rigging elements, not shown, which actuate the usual friction braking elements into and out of braking engagement with the wheel and axle assemblies `of the vehicle truck. The lower end of the brake. cylinder lever 1 is ralso 'connected to 'one end `of a brake -hanger v9 which hanger atits opposite end is connected to ahracket lll carried by a side frame or other 'unsprung part of the truck.

. Rigidly attached to the bolster l and extendving downwardly from the lower side thereof is a bracket I2 which carries a pin |14 upon which is rockably mounted a lever i5 which extends transversely of the bolster. At one side of 'the pin M the lever comprises an arm i6 which projects beyond one side of the truck bolster, and at the other side the lever comprises an arm I Lthe arm `lli being of greater length than the arm Il.

The outer end of the arm ll` carries Va pin l`8 which passes through a slotted opening i8 formed in the brakecylinder lever l intermediate its ends, This pin serves` as a fulcrum for thelever.

The outer end of the arm His connected to the upper end of a vertically extending rod 22 by means of a p'inr23, which rod extends through a suitable opening V2li provided in the spring plank 2. vThe rod 22 is provided with two adjustable spring seats 25 and 26, in the for-m of nuts having 'screw-threaded engagement with the rod, and whichare disposed ,adjacent the upper andlower sides of the spring plank, respectively.

Interposed between the spring seat 25 and the upper side of the springplank is a spring `2l and interposed between the spring s eat 26 and the lower side of thespring plank is a spring 28 for a purposehereinaft'er described.

The armv I6 of the lever l5 is provided, at a point intermediate the pins, ld and I8, with a serrated or toothed locking portion or segment 29 which is adapted to -be engaged by a corresponde ingly shaped' toothed locking portion 30 whichis carried by one end of a member 3| which member may be termed a latch. The latch member 3l extends transversely of the bolster and is preferably arranged parallel with the lower side thereof and is slidably mounted in the bracket l2 for longitudinal movement relative to the bolster. Intermediate its ends the latch member is provided with a slotted opening 32 through which the pin Ill extends. The other end of the latch member is operatively connected to the lower end of a vertically extending lever 33 by mea-ns of a pinlS.

The lever 33 is operatively connected at its opposite end by means f a pin 35 to a horizontally eXtending operating rod 36 and is pivotally mount` ed intermediate its ends on a pin 31 carried by a bracket 38 projecting from the bolster I.

The rod 36 is movable longitudinally to rock the lever 33 about the pivot pin 31 to actuate the latch member 3l;u and thereby the toothed locking portion 3,0.;61 thejf'member' intofa'nd out of locking engagement with the toothed portion 29 on the armV I6 of the lever I5. At one side of the pin 35, the rod 36 is provided with a spring 19 leading from the seat for the slide valve 52 in the change-over control valve device 58, the check valve 52 being interposed in this pipe to prevent flow of uid from the pipe 11 to the slide valve chamber 58. Also contained in valve chamber 1I is `a spring 8i) which tends at all times to urge the piston 66, piston stem 14 and valve13 to the position inV which they are shown in the' drawing. l0

bythe truck bolster increases, the usual truck nfwiu be understoodthat as tile ibad carried l'bolster supporting springs 3 will be compressed,

side of this spring seat andthe-inner'wall of the bore is a spring 42 which tends,v at all times,v toffj move the springr seat in a direction toward the lever 33.

At the opposite side of the pin 35, the 'rod as is provided with a piston 45 which is operativelymounted in a reset cylinder 46 having a piston chamber 41 which is in constant open communication with a passage and pipe 48 and which is also connected to the atmosphere Vby way of. a restricted passage 49.

The apparatus for controlling the operation of the piston 45 and thereby the rod 36 may comprise a change-over control valve device 50, a cutoiT valve device I, a check valve device 52 and .a volume reservoir 53. Y v

The change-over control valve device 50 may comprise a, casing in which there is slidably mounted a piston 55. At one side ofA this piston there is a chamber 56 which is constantly connected through a passage 51 Awith the atmosf phere. At the opposite sidevof theI Piston there is a valve chamber 58 which is constantly connected through a communication vwith the usual brake pipe `BI). This communication .comprises two separate pipes 59 which are connected together by means of a flexible hoseB'I, which hose accommodates lateral relativemovement between the sprung and unsprung parts .of the vehicle.

Contained in valve chamber ,58 of the* valve device 50 is a slide valve 62 which is; adaptedtoI be operated by a piston stem 63 carried by the piston 55. Contained in chamber 55 and acting on the piston is a spring B4 which, at all times, tends to urge thefpistompiston stem and slide valve toward the .position in which theyare shown i in the drawing. .f Y

The cut-oil valve device 5I may comprise a casing in which there is slidably mounted a pist0n 66. At one side of. this .piston there is a chamber 61 which is in constant open communi- K cation with apipe 68 leading to the brake cylinder device 4 which .pipe in turn is-connected to a communication leading 1to `the brakeY cylinder portv of a brake controlling valve device not shown, said communication comprising two separate pipes 69 which are connected together by means of a flexible hose to -accommodate relative movement .between `the truck andthe body of the vehicle. At the oppositeside ofthe piston 66 thereisa valve chamber 1I which is.

voir 53. The pipe11is also connected to a pipe so that the truck bolster I will move downwardly relative to the spring plank 2 and that this movement will always lbe proportional to the degr'ee of the load, starting from empty and progressing to a maximum point at full load. As

. this movement is occurring the lever I5, if not locked,V will be caused to rock in a counterclockwi'se direction about the pin 23, the spring 21 being sufciently strong to resist deflection. Rotation of the lever i5 in a counterclockwise direction causes the fulcrum pin I8 to move downwardly relative to the Ibrake cylinder lever 1 within the slotted opening I9. Itwill be obvious that any variation in the position of the pin I8 with relation tothe brake cylinder lever 1 in this direction will result in an increase in the leverage of the Vapparatus and thereby an increase in the braking power of the brake rigging when the rigging is actuated to apply the brakes. c If the load on the truck bolster has been decreased and the lever I5 vis unlocked the springs 3 will act to `move the truck bolster upwardly which movement causes the lever to rock in a clockwise direction about the pinY 23,V the spring 28 being strong enough to resist deilection. v

Rotation ofthe lever l5 in a'clockwise direction i causes the fulcrum pin I8 to move upwardly relative to the lever 'I within the slotted opening I9. Any variation of the position of the pin in this direction will result in a decrease in the leverage of the apparatus and thereby a decrease in the braking power of the rigging. when the 'rigging is actuated to `apply the brakes.

vbyone truck than by the other, the more heavily loaded truck will be braked heavier than the lightly loaded truck.

Operation Assuming the vehicle, embodying the invention, to be empty and separated from a train, the brakes on the vehicle released and the brake pipe of the vehicle deplete of iuid under pressure. Under these conditions the several parts of the equipment will be in the position illustrated in the drawing, K

Now when the empty vehicle is placed in a "train, the brake ,pipe 65 will of course be suption 29 ofthe lever I5, in the same manner as before described in connection with the adjustment ofthe brake rigging for empty braking.

When the teeth of locking portion 30 of the latch member are moved out of locking engagement with the toothed portion 29 of the lever I5, the spring 21, which as before mentioned has sufcient initial tension to resist deflection when the lever is unlocked, will act through the medium of spring seat 25, rod 22 and pin 23 to move the arm I1 of lever l5 upwardly. This upward movement of arm I1 causes the lever I5 to rock in a counterclockwise direction about the pin I4. This rocking movement of the lever I5 thus causes the arm I6 at the other side of the pin I4 to movel downwardly and carries the ful- `crum pin I8 with it, the pin I8 moving in the lslotted opening I9 in the brake cylinderV lever 1. From this it will be understood that theV fulcrum pin lII! will be automatically positioned relative to the brake cylinder lever 1 to provide for the degree of braking called for by the weight of the lading placed on the vehicle.

Now when the pressure in the brake pipe has been increased to about thirty pounds the lever vI5 and thereby fulcrumpin I8 will be locked in its adjusted position in identically the same manner as hereinbefore described in connection with thefadjustment of the braking rigging for one empty vehicle. -The fulcrum pin rIIB will be maintained'in its f adjusted position by the locked lever I5 until the fluid under pressure in the brake pipe 6I) is lagain depleted when the change-over control valve device willn be conditioned for effecting adjustment of the lever in accordance with the load when the system is again recharged.

When 'the lever I5 and fulcrum pin I8 are locked against rocking movement, the springs 2S and 21,l serve to cushion or dampen the shocks which may be transmitted from the bolster to In setting a car outof Va train the usual hose couplings (not shownlbetw'een cars are parted which permits the brake pipe pressure to reduce rapidly to atmospheric pressure; lThis rapid reduction in brake pipe pressure causesfany of the well known brakecontrolling valve devices such Yfor example `as the ABWvalv'e shown and described in the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, instruction pamphlet 5062, acting in the Vusual mannen'to supply fluid under pressure to vthe brake the brakes. A l In effecting such an application of Vthe brakes uid under pressure supplied tothe'brak'e cylinder 4 also flows vto chamber 61 of thecut-off valve device 5I thus causing the valve 13 ktherein to be moved into'seating lengagement with its seat 15 to cut off communication between passage 15 and chamber 1I, in the manner already describedin connection with a service application of the brakes. When'the brake pipe v pressure has been reduced below'thirty pounds, the change-over control valvefdevice 50 will operatefto connect valve chamber 58 therein to pipe w l' "l A f Y When the car is again connected in a train and it is desired to effect a release oflthe brakes following'such an application,fluid under pressure is supplied tothe brake pipe in the usual well known manner, from whence it iiows to the valve chamber 58 of the vbrake*controllingv valve decylinder to eiect an application of out of locking engagement with the toothed porviceffthrough the circuit hereinbefore traced in connection with charging an empty vehicle.

As will be understoodk from the foregoing dcscription the change-over control valve device 5D 5 Ywin; 'at this time, be in the position as iuustrated in the drawing and the cut-oil valve device 5I will be in its opposite position; that is, in a position intwhich valve 13 cuts off communication between passage 16 and chamber 1I. Since the .change-over 'control valve device and the cutoff valve device are thus positioned iluid under pressure supplied to valve chamber 58 of the chang'eeover control valve device Yows by way of pipe 19; past check valve 52 and pipe 11 to the volume reservoir 53, the valve 13 cutting off the flow of iiuid under pressure from pipe 11 to chamber 1I in the cut-off valve device. f

When the pressure of fluid in chamber 58 of the change-over control valve device 55 and con- 2.0 sequently in volume reservoir 53 has been increased to approximately thirty pounds the change-over control valve device will function 'as hereinbefore described to cut-off communication between Valve chamber 58 and pipe 19.

Now when the pressure of fluid in the brake pipe Si) has been increased to a degree suicent .to effect-operation of the brake controlling valve device (not shown) to release position which is approximately fifty pounds with the AB control valve device, the pipe 69 will be connected to the atmosphere in the usual manner thereby venting fluid under pressure from the pipe 68 and connected brake cylinder 4 and chamber 61 of the cut-off valve device 5I. When this occurs the vrelease spring 83 in the brake cylinder 4 will cause the brake cylinder piston and the tubular piston rod 5 to move to release position as shown, thereby permitting push rod B and the cylinder lever 1 to move to their release position, 40 thus the brakes are released.

At the same time' the spring 8G, in the cut-oi valve device 5I, will act, due to the reduction in pressure in chamber 61, to move the piston 6B and thereby the valve 13 into the position in which it is shown in the drawing, thus unseating valve 13.

With 'the valve 13 thusY unseated iiuid under pressure stored during `the charging of the brake 'pipe in volume reservoir 53 flows to chamber 41 of the reset cylinder 4'6 by way of pipe 11, passage 116, past unseated valve 13, chamber 1I in the cut-off valve device 5I, passage 12 and pipe and passage 48. Since as before mentioned the supply of uid under pressure to chamber 41by way of pipe and passage 4B is at a faster rate than it can be released from the chamber by way of restricted passage 49, the piston 45 is caused to move in a direction toward the left hand against the opposing pressure of spring 42. Movement of piston 45 in this direction effects movement of the toothed portion 3!! of the latch member 3| out of engagement with the toothed portion 29 of the lever I5, in the manner hereinbefore described so vthat the lever and thereby the fulcrum pin I8 are again unlocked.

Now if the load on the vehicle has been varied during the interval of time that the brakes on the vehicle were applied and the brake pipe depleted of fluid under pressure, the spring V2'! acting 'through the medium of spring seat 25 and pin 23 vvwill, due to vertical relative movement between the bolster I and the spring plank 2, cause lever vI5'to rock about the pin I4 and adjust the fulcrum pin I8 in accordance with the loadon the 5 vehicle. Y

Now when the pressure in chamber 41 of the reset cylinder 46 and the volume reservoir 53. equalize and with further supply of fluid under pressure to the chamber 41 out off, the pressure in the chamber and the connected reservoir are vented to the atmosphere by way of the restricted passage 49. Upon a sufficient reduction in pressure in chamber 41, the spring 42 Will act as already described to effect locking of the lever I and thereby the fulcrum pin I8 in its adjusted position. I

It will be understood from the foregoing description that if the brakes are in their released condition at the time the brake pipe is being charged with uid under pressure, the unlocking of the fulcrum shifting lever l5 will be ac complished in response to the pressure of fluid supplied from the brake pipe by way of the open valve devices 50 and 5|.

Ify however, the brakes are in their applied condition uid at brake cylinder pressure in chamber 61 of the valve device 5| maintains the valve 13 seated until such time as the pressure of fluid in the brake cylinder and chamber 61 has been reduced sufficiently to effect the release of the brakes. This reduction will be initiated by the usual brake controlling valve device when the brake pipe has been increased to around fty pounds. During this brake pipe charging period fluid at brake cylinder pressure in chamber 61 acts to maintain the valve 13 seated, so that the reservoir 53 will be charged with fluid until such time as the brake pipe pressure has been increased to around thirty pounds. When this occurs the valve device 50 functions to cut off the further flow of iluid to the reservoir 53. Since the valve 13 is maintained closed by brake cylinder pressure the fluid stored in the reservoir will be at a pressure of about thirty pounds as determined by the setting of the valve device 5U. When the brake cylinder pressure is reduced sufciently to effect a release of the brakes the valve 13 is moved to its unseated position so as to permit the iiuid stored in reservoir 53 to ilow to the piston chamber 41, the pressure of fluid thus ad mitted to chamber 41 causing the piston to function to effect the unlocking of the fulcrum shifting lever I5. It will be noted that the fluid stored in the reservoir 53 thus provides for the unlocking of the lever l5 when the brake pipe has been increased to around iifty pounds even through the communication from the brake pipe has already been closed by the slide valve 62 of the valve de.- vice 50 in response to the increase in brake pipe pressure to thirty pounds.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a variable load brake apparatus for a ven hicle truck of the type having a xed spring plank and a truck bolster vertically movable relative to the spring plank in response to variations in the weight imposed thereon, in combination, a brake lever operatively connected at one end to a brake member to be operated, a brake cylinder carried by said bolster and connected to the other end of said lever, said brake cylinder being operative to actuate the lever and thereby said member, a slotted opening in said lever extending longitudinally of the lever intermediate its ends, a fulcrum for said lever disposed in said slotted opening, a lever carried by saidbolster and oper atively connected to said spring plank operative to shift said fulcrum along said brake lever, and locking means carried by said bolster for locking the second mentioned lever against operation by relative movement between said bolster and said spring plank.

2. In a variable load brake apparatus for a vehicle of the type having a fixed part and a part movable vertically relative to the fixed part in response to variations in the Weight imposed thereon, in combination, a brake lever operative ly connected at one end to a brake member to be operated, a brake cylinder connected to the other end of said lever and operative upon the supply of iluid under pressure thereto to actuate the lever and thereby the member to effect an application of the brakes, a slotted opening in said lever extending longitudinally of the lever intermediate its ends, a fulcrum element for said lever disposed in said slotted opening, fulcrum shifting means responsive to relative movement between a sprung and an unsprung part of the vehicle for shifting said fulcrum element along the brake lever, fluid pressure responsive means operative upon an increase in the pressure of fluid acting thereon to unlock said fulcrum shifting means to permit the fulorum shifting means to be actuated and operative upon a reduction in the pressure of iluid acting thereon to lock said fulcrum shifting means in any position to which it has been moved, valve means normally establishing communication through which fluid under pressure may flow to said fluid pressure responsive means, and a valve device responsive to the pressure of fluid supplied to said brake cylinder in effecting an application of the brakes to render said valve means ineffective to control the flow of fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure responsive means.

3. In a variable load brake apparatus for a vehicle of the type having a xed part and a part movable vertically relative to the iixed part in response to variations in the Weight imposed thereon, in combination, a brake lever operatively connected at one end to a brake member to be operated, a brake cylinder connected to the other end of said lever and operative upon the supply of fluid under pressure thereto to actuate the lever and thereby the member to effect an application of the brakes, a slotted opening in said lever extending longitudinally of the lever intermediate its ends, a fulcrum element for said lever disposed in said slotted opening, fulcrum shifting means movable in response to relative movement between a sprung and an unsprung part of the vehicle for shifting said fulcrum element along the brake lever, locking means for locking said adjusting means and thereby said fulcrum in any selected position, iiuid pressure operated means for actuating said locking means to its unlocking position, a brake pipe normally deplete of fluid under pressure adapted to be charged with fluid under pressure for control of the brakes on the vehicle, valve means controlled by brake pipe pressure for controlling the supply of fluid under lpressure to the fluid pressure operated means, and a valve device operative by fluid under pressure supplied to the brake cylinder in effecting an application of the brakes to render said valve means ineffective to control the flow of fluid under pressure to said pressure responsive means.

CECIL S. KELLEY. 

